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WEST CHESTER, PA –
Sean Henry (Reading, Pa./Exeter) redeemed himself in overtime with a 34-yard field goal on West Chester's first possession, and the Golden Rams' defense held Bloomsburg on their OT possession, for a wild 24-21 victory in front of the largest crowd of the season at John A. Farrell Stadium on Homecoming Weekend.
Henry had missed a 30-yard attempt as time expired at the end of regulation that would have sent the crowd of over 7,000 home early. Instead, he saved his heroics for the extra session as West Chester improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. With the loss, Bloomsburg fell to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the league.
D'Shaun Seals (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) racked up 123 all-purpose yards, including a crucial 60-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter that leveled the score momentarily. He finished with 61 yards receiving on six catches after eight targets. He had a 2-yard run as well.
Bloomsburg drove 71 yards on six plays with tight end Nas Jones catching a 2-yard TD pass from quarterback K.J. Riley with 3:28 left in the game that tied things up at 21-apiece. West Chester answered with a 58-yard drive on 13 plays of its own in its two-minute offense. That drive was aided by a 16-yard run by quarterback
Cooper Jordan (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) on a 4th-and-2 from the Bloomsburg 39.
West Chester got down to the Huskies' 8-yard line, but went backwards after a false start, and a QB sack. That left things at 3rd-and-goal from the 13 with :03 left. Henry came on and missed the 30-yarder to win the game.
The Golden Rams won the toss in the overtime and got first possession of the ball from Bloomsburg's 25-yard line. West Chester drove to Bloomsburg's 17-yard line, and Henry came on with a chance and redemption. This time, his 34-yarder was good.
When Bloomsburg took possession, Kaleb Moncao was tackled in the backfield for a 3-yard loss on first down. Riley completed a pass to Jaden Helton to get those yards back, but a false start on the Huskies left them with a 3rd-and-15 from the 30. Riley floated a pass over the head of Nas Jones making it 4th-and-15. That is when
Connor Noble (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) got to Riley and sacked him to end the game.
Bloomsburg struck first when it took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards, capped by a 5-yard TD run from Moncao. Seals' big return tied things up at seven with four minutes left in the first quarter.
Enter
Ethan Kohler (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) at quarterback for West Chester. He engineered an 8-play, 70-yard drive going a perfect 5-for-5 on the drive for 55 yards.
Brody McAndrew (Penndel, Pa./Neshaminy), a transfer QB from New Hampshire who has been playing linebacker and H-back, lined up in a Wildcat formation and ran the ball in from three yards out to put West Chester up, 14-7.
Bloomsburg answered that scoring drive with a touchdown in just six plays and 1:54 of time off the clock. Jerry Griffin-Batchler ran in from the six.
West Chester received the second-half kickoff and went on a 7-play, 60-yard drive that culminated in a 9-yard TD run by Jordan. That set the stage for the wild finish in the fourth.
Noble led West Chester's defense with 10 tackles, including one sack. He also forced a fumble and was credited with a QB hurry.
West Chester hits the road next weekend for another PSAC East showdown at Shippensburg.
